#barba has a type

[slvtrlv]

IF YOUR REQUEST R STILL OPEN I WOULD ABSOLUTELY DIE FOR No.10 "did you just kiss me?" FOR RAFAEL BARBA

Ps I adore ur writing!!! Have a good dayyyy

~ TAKE YOU TO INFINITY ~

Relationship: Rafael Barba x Female Reader

Warning: language, drinking, but it’s fluff so chill

Words: ???

A/N: me and the character do not own the song by Lana del rey, it’s just my inspiration & fly of my imagination. I love her songs and do not want to offend her.

- A party? - I asked Sonny.

- Yes, we have successfully closed the case and now we can afford at least some rest - my partner grinned.

I've always liked Sonny, he was the life of the company and just an amazing partner. I started working at SVU not so long ago and it meant a lot to me that I was invited too.

Parties with colleagues were rare because there was a lot to do at work.

In fact, I was worried as if I was going to take another exam again, although the exam is already over, I proved myself well in this matter and deserved to party.

- Guys, congratulations to everyone, everyone has worked hard and good. I'm waiting at 7 in the bar, without delay - Liv says with a huge smile on her face - And whoever is late will sing country songs - She laughed and went towards the elevator

I started packing so I could run home and change my clothes. Walking to the exit, someone called out to me. He.

- Y/N can I give you a ride? - he asked.

- No, thanks. I'll can go on my own - I said politely, trying to leave as quickly as possible.

He. It was one of the defendant's defenders. Gabe. Of course, we crossed paths while working on the case, and then in court, but his persistence did not give me peace of mind. I tried to hint to him that I already have someone, but that didn't stop him. And maybe I know why.

Catching a taxi, I quickly get in, that he did not have time to catch me.

——————————-2 hours later. —————————

It didn't take long to have a quick snack and shower after a day at work. My favorite dress is just as good as the first time I celebrated my birthday earlier. Minimal makeup and I'm ready to move on to the first informal work party.

Moving into the bar, I began to remember the first times I was there.

It was literally a week after I started working in the department. Liv then made a great effort for Rafael Barba to take me under his wing.

And so, after a one of hard day, I find myself sitting with him in this bar. At that time, I had no plans for the evening, and just then Rafael called me for a couple of drinks to relieve the whole burden of the day.

But what about me? I didn't mind.

That day, I saw a different side of Rafael, not a working one, but a freer one. He turned out to be less of a grouch over a glass of whiskey. Well, I turned out to be not as shy as he thought before.

- Mis, may I ask for your ID? - The guard asked, pulling me out of my memories.

- Yes, of course - I said, handing him my ID.

I'll go inside, I checked the time and was surprised when I saw 18:28. I thought that on the contrary, I would come right at the appointed time.

There was nothing to do but sit at the bar and drink a couple of shots before everyone came.

"Where are you?"

-Rafael

"already in place," - I quickly typed with a smile on my face

"Behind the bar?

And stunning white dress with little flowers?"

-Rafael

- How are you... - I began in a low voice, but before I could finish, I felt a light touch on my shoulder.

- Hello there - Rafael smiled, sitting down next to me - What are you drinking?

- Oh, you scared me - I said lightly pushing his chest

- I’m Sorry, didn't expect you so early - he laughed. And I just smiled, God, he's so handsome in this white shirt and blue jeans, and when he takes off his lawyer mask.

- Try it - I said, pushing the one shot over to him. Rafael looked at me and knocked over the shot.

He made a face and said:

- Well, I've never tasted anything sweeter than this.

- Definitely , but the aftertaste is amazing - I told him.

- Excuse me, can I have 3 more of the same shots? - Rafa asked the bartender

- It'll be ready in a minute, sir - the golden retweeter boy replied with a smile.

We managed to drink our shots just as everyone arrived.

- I hope we didn't spoil the moment for you - Amanda grinned.

- don't get your hopes up - I replied and hugged her tightly.

Due to the fact that Amanda had to leave for a few days, I managed to miss our morning conversation over a cup of coffee.

- So, we order soon and start. I don't want to miss something because Sonny can't sit down - Liv said smiling.

Sonny looked at her like a guilty child and sat down next to Amanda. Then there was Liv, Rafi and I.

The evening went smoothly, music was playing in the bar, and we talked about everything that came to mind.

And it was amazing. I have never felt that colleagues can be not just friends, but just like a family. And I'm saying this because I had to work when I was at university to keep up with paying for the live. And believe me, there was a do-it-or-we-will-spit-in-your-face atmosphere at those jobs.

- Ladies and gentlemen, we invite you to go to the stage, today we will have special guests who will perform several songs - the DJ said

Everyone looked at each other except Liv and me.

- Did we come to the concert? - Sonny asked.

- Apparently so, - said Raphael, looking suspiciously at our visual communication with Liv

- Let’s go , you can't miss this - Liv said, and everyone followed her. Except for me. I went a little bit the other way, but also to the stage, just walking around it from the side.

I went up to DJ named Marcus and asked him for a microphone.

- I'm glad you agreed - Marcus said - by the way, you look amazing as always, Y/N.

- Thank you, and thank you for inviting me, I thought that after that performance in college I wouldn't be able to do this again, - I said and headed for the stage.

- I invite you to greet Y/N with the song "let me love you like a woman"

Deep breath. Exhale. and the stage light shifts to me.

- hi everyone, thanks for coming. Today I would like to perform one of my favorite songs, which I dedicate to the past, present and future, - I said into the microphone, looking at all the people and my friends.

My gaze settled on him.

And I started playing the first chords of the song on the piano.

I come from a small town, how 'bout you?

I only mention it 'cause I'm ready to leave LA

And I want you to come

Eighty miles north or south will do

I don't care where as long as you're with me

And I'm with you and you let me

Rafael's gaze was completely fixed on me. He didn't know that I was playing, that I was singing, and that I was performing

- Pinch me Sonny, I can't believe my eyes - Rafael said

- I don't believe what's going on right now too,man. But you're lucky, she sings amazing

Let me love you like a woman

Let me hold you like a baby

Let me shine like a diamond

Let me be who I'm meant to be

Talk to me in poems and songs

Don't make me be bittersweet

Let me love you like a woman

Let me hold you like a baby

Let me hold you like a baby

When Marcus asked me to sing in one of the bars, I did not know that I would perform a song that I had written in just a couple of days. Everything happened so quickly, and under the impression of an evening spent in the company of Rafael, I did not believe it myself when the sheet was filled with writing, and my hand was shaking with emotion.

I come from a small town far away

I only mention it 'cause I'm ready to leave LA

And I want you to come (And I need you to come)

I guess I could manage if you stay

It's just if you do, I can't see myself having any fun, so

Raphael and I spent the weekends l together. He invited me. On a date. The first, the second, the third, it doesn't matter. I've already lost count. But it was also unexpected, like the first time. And it's nice.

Let me love you like a woman

Let me hold you like a baby

Let me shine like a diamond

Let me be who I'm meant to be

Talk to me in songs and poems

Don't make me be bittersweet

Let me love you like a woman

Our feelings with Rafael were mutual and we took our time. We enjoyed every day we spent together, but this time it was different. On this day, he confessed his feelings:

- I know this may sound unexpected, and we agreed not to rush things, but I just can't keep it to myself and hide to you what I feel about you, Y/N - Rafael said when we were sitting on the couch in his living room.

I moved closer to him and took his hand

Take you to infinity

Let me love you like a woman (Let me hold you like a baby)

Take you to infinity

Let me love you like a woman (Let me hold you like a baby)

Take you to infinity

- I adore you. I adore your movements, your reflections, your actions, your ups and downs, I adore your manners, your sense of humor and your ability to support a person. I fall into complete amazement when I see your smile. Your laughs gives me goosebumps, this is the most pleasant laugh I've ever heard - he grinned when he remembered how much one post I read to him the one day made me laugh. - I admire when you come to work and drink your double espresso, although you didn’t like it. but it's the only thing that invigorates you, as you said.

- Don't remind me about espresso - I chuckled, and felt the tears begin to come.

Take you to infinity

Let me love you like a woman (Let me hold you like a baby)

Take you to infinity

Let me love you like a woman (Let me hold you like a baby)

Take you to infinity

- I would like to tell you about all the things that make you You , and what I admire, adores and loves about you- Rafael continued, slowly running circles over my shoulder - But I'm afraid it will take me infinity, and I already have plans for infinity..... With you. - He finished.

- Oh, Rafael, I'm going to cry now - I gently pushed him in the chest

And he hugged me. That’s was a unique moment

- I fell in love with you, and believe me, this is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you, body and soul, most adently. And if you don't mind, I'd like you to be my girlfriend. - he concluded, looking into my eyes with such heartfelt warmth that tears from my eyes began to drip directly onto his fingertips, with which he tried to prevent the worldwide flood in his apartment.

We could get lost in the purple rain

Talk about the good ol' days

We could get high on some pink champagne

Baby, let me count the ways

Let me love you like a woman

Let me hold you like a baby

Let me shine like a diamond

Let me be who I'm meant to be

Talk to me in songs and poems

Don't make me be bittersweet

Let me love you like a woman

When I finished the last chords, I opened my eyes to find him. And he was here. He stood and looked at me with a look that only someone who wasn't in love wouldn't understand.

- Are you okay, Rafael? - Liv asked worriedly, touching his arm.

- Yes…, yes, I'm fine - Rafael muttered.

- She wanted it to be a surprise for you. And I'm so glad that she appeared in your life, - Liv said softly, leaving him alone.

I left the stage and headed to the bar to order a drink to calm my excitement.

- whiskey on the rocks, please - I ordered to the bartender.

While waiting for my order, I did not expect what coming next.

Gabe.

Where did he even come from?

- you're sexy when you put on dresse, you know - he began his speech as suddenly as his hand touched my ass.

- Excuse me?! What the heck are you think you’re doing?!- I replied sharply, starting to get angry and feel uncomfortable.

- Oh, come on, don’t pretend you’re innocent, look how you dressed up - he grinned, looking at me with his evil eyes - Wrap up and let's go, today I won't let you sleep - he summed up.

- Get your hands off her - pushing Gabe, Rafael said - She's with me, so fuck off, dude

God, thank you, thank you for coming.

I moved closer to Rafael, who blocked me from Gabe.

- what's the problem with Barba? Are you attracted to the young ones now? - Gabe snapped

- listen, I'm not going to tell you about what you just tried to do - said Rafael - I can bring quite a few problems into your life for such communication and actions towards a woman who is clearly not pleased with the way you behave with her - said Raphael

- Are we at work now or what? Are you going to threaten me? - Gabe began to raise his voice - I want her and she will leave with me. Who are you to her? A Husband? A Father?... that's right, no one, so get out of the way

- First of all, as you said, I am her husband, and only then an a.d.a lawyer who is able to put you in jail for harassment, so leave before you have legal problems, - Rafael said calmly

- Fuck you - Gabe replied and headed off into his damn sunset.

Rafael turned to me:

- How are you?

- It could be worse - I replied - Thanks for standing up for me.

He hugged me and whispered:

- I will never let anyone behave like this to you, and I will always protect you, mi amor

- I love you - I told him.

And he just kissed me, gently and sensually.

- I love you too, mi Vida - Rafael said, leaning against my forehead

- did you just kiss me? - I asked - I can get used to it.

- I don't mind kissing you every day. Every morning and every night - He replied, holding me tightly.

- You said you are my husband - I said softly.

- Yes, I'm sorry, it got a little ahead - he began to worry - i just wanted this jerk to get off of you as soon as possible...

- Yeah. I understand - I replied

- But I hope you won't mind if one day I propose to you - Rafi said

- One day, I will answer you "Yes" and I will be the happiest woman in the world, my love, - I told him and kissed him.

- And on the same day, I will become the happiest man in the world, mi vida - he said, hugging me.

[daddydoddsjr]

If you made a scale of Law and Order (and/or SVU) lawyers based on "most to least likely to get jealous" what would it look like?

Pairings || SVU lawyers x GN!Reader

Warnings || Jealousy ofc, anger, mentions of NSFW

Authors Note || just doing some SVU characters in order of least to most likely— this post kept glitching so hopefully when i post it posts normal?

6. Peter Stone

I feel like he wouldn’t care

But in a ‘I know I’m amazing and I have no reason to be jealous’

Just cocky

5. Alex Cabot

Not cocky, but still doesn’t get jealous

Doesn’t have much a reason to

And doesn’t want to waste time being jealous

She trusts that nothing will happen anyways

4. Casey Novak

Feels the hits of jealously/anger but doesn’t react much at first

But if something makes her jealous, she’s good at voicing it outright

And she’s blunt about it so you know exactly how she feels

3. Rafael Barba

Silent jealous type— but easily jealous nonetheless

Another man even tries to check you out or flirt with you?

He’s immediately jealous and protectively holding your hip tightly

Might let out some of his jealousy frustrations during sex

2. Sonny Carisi

Sonny is definitely a bit more jealous than he lets on

Someone is flirting with his person?

Absolutely seething on the inside, normal on the outside

Definitely has a hand on you somewhere (your thigh, lower back, hand, etc)

1. Rita Calhoun

Vocal about it and you can tell how completely angry jealousy makes her

Very protective of you and jealously comes easily

Fights sometimes happen due to this, but she’s not necessarily mad at you, just made at who made her jealous

Jealous sex jealous sex jealous sex

i love rita calhoun so much and i need more sapphic fics with her

[dante-winning-archive]

DmC: Devil May Cry Thoughts

So I finally decided to experience the DmC Reboot, and my overall verdict is: Not As Bad As I Expected. 

I took notes, so let’s break it down. This is over 3 pages in a doc btw, so buckle up I guess. Hope it was worth the wait.

What I Liked

Level Design

This is probably the game’s biggest strength. Great amount of variety, and the atmosphere of each level was great. 

Limbo is a really cool concept. 

The twin’s special abilities (like Dante’s grappling hook type weapons) made for some really cool platforming. 

The typography really works in this game. Like, words and phrases appearing in the environment to taunt Dante or just provide additional flavor to whatever is happening. Very comic book. 

The Bob Barbas boss battle had a really cool neon techy aesthetic, which isn’t something I would have expected for this game. Neat!

The game show levels leading up to Lilith’s boss fight were cool too! 

The Succubus boss battle made really good use of the environment. 

Enemy Design

General demon mobs are automaton-like, which is pretty neat. I’m not a fan of that sort of aesthetic, but I respect the creative direction. 

All the bosses had decent variety in terms of design and battle mechanics.

Item/Weapon Design

I think this was another pretty strong point for this game

It’s a small thing, but the designs of the orbs were nice.

Rebellion’s shape shifting is neat. Rebellion doesn’t really have any cool powers like Yamato does in the mainline games, so it was nice to see it do something besides being a big sword. 

AQUILA IS SUCH A COOL WEAPON

Ebony and Ivory were pretty, but didn't seem particularly useful what with all the other weapons Dante had at his disposal.

Misc

Combat looks dynamic and satisfying, and I can see the influence it had on DMC5’s combat. 

The voice acting is good

Occasionally, it was genuinely funny

The Vergil gameplay at the end? INCREDIBLE. 

The music was good. Nothing really stood out to me, but it did enhance the game. 

What I Disliked

Lilith

I really hated her character design. And I’m not saying it wasn’t effective character design, or that it was bad. I just personally didn’t like it. 

Her weirdly pulled skin, the corset piercings, the way her skin bunches up around the tops of her gloves… ugh. 

And maybe that’s the point! I’m probably supposed to find it offputting! But I hated looking at her. 

Pregnancy is a really intense squick of mine, so all that was just no! No! No! No! 

I wish I could unsee her boss battle

Minor Design Complaints

Dante’s DT design was a little disappointing, especially considering how well designed everything else is. 

Yamato’s design was also lackluster. 

Misc

The fatphobia was disappointing but not surprising, especially considering the year this was released. 

Mundus sex scene… ew

The sniper abortion scene wasn’t as shocking as I expected it to be, but it sure was there

The way Vergil pronounces Yamato lol. Ya-MATT-o

Pronouncing Mundus differently was a little weird. The mundus amungus…. 

Mundus’ boss fight was uninspired. Wow, a giant statue trying to squash Dante on a platform. Never seen that one before.

A lot of this game has a ‘gross’ factor, which I’m not really into. That’s just personal preference, because I do think it mostly works in context. Just not my thing. 

Characters:

In general, I found the characters to be pretty one-dimensional. 

The Twins

The two of them working together in Mundus’ tower, one in each world, was really cool. If you’re going to have twins in a setting with two worlds overlapping, having one in each is (chefs kiss). Being able to play as both of them to achieve the goal would have made it even better. 

I really enjoyed the scenes they had together, but there just weren’t enough of them. 

It was nice seeing them share physical affection (in the form of a mutual shoulder pat)

But “I loved you, brother” just didn’t have the emotional impact I wanted it to have. 

And the issue is really… they’re strangers. They may be brothers, but they barely know each other. Their relationship just didn’t get as much attention and buildup as it should have. 

Vergil

He’s so friendly and helpful sounding at the beginning, it was kind of cute. 

But it is revealed he’s pretty cold and calculating, willing to sacrifice Kat because saving her wasn’t worth the risk to him. 

His mad hax lol 

give him his hat back, cowards

Even though he was carrying Yamato around, I wasn’t sure he could even fight until the very end. He just seemed so weak. The thing about the twins is that they’re equals on the physical level. IDK, it was just weird to see a Vergil that didn’t fight. 

honestly, a way more interesting character than Dante.

Dante

A devil-may-care character that learns to give a shit? Always a classic. 

As unnecessarily edgy as he seems, his poor coping mechanisms make sense for how he grew up. 

Kat

An assault survivor, because of course she is. It’s just disappointing. Was it necessary? Was it??

Overall, she’s fine. No real strong feelings about her. 

Despite having a ‘role’ (guiding Dante through Limbo and helping him escape it), her job could have been given to Vergil and the game would have worked fine. Maybe even better. 

Sparda and Eva 

Having Sparda outlive Eva and be responsible for hiding the twins was an interesting choice. I also like that we have confirmation for what happened to him (eternal torture). 

I would have expected an angel and demon to be a power couple, but they seemed to have been beaten pretty easily. For plot, I guess. 

The Story

I wasn’t really all that invested, tbh. There’s nothing wrong with the story, but at the same time there isn’t really anything notable about it (except Vergil’s bit). 

It’s a hack n’ slash, so I’m not expecting a masterpiece, but it was pretty one note.

WHY is there a war between demons and angels? Where did the Nephilim come from, how many were there, what role did they play? More importantly, why should I care about any of this? 

The twins avenging their parents should have felt like… like taking on a mantle to continue their cause, and I really didn’t get any of that. There wasn’t any weight of legacy. And the main games handle that so well. 

Overall, I just felt like there wasn’t enough emotional impact, especially between the brothers. There wasn’t enough time to really grow to care about the three protagonists, imo. 

Dante's character arc is... learning to give a shit, I guess, but even then, his decision to be the protector of humans feels really out there. Did he really show that much growth throughout the game for this declaration to really feel deserved? Rewarding?

Likewise, Vergil's shift from revolutionary to would-be king is equally abrupt. Like maybe the entire point of it was to be out of left field, but from a storytelling standpoint... an out-of-nowhere twist like that just doesn't feel rewarding. Having more time with Vergil as Dante throughout the course of the game, to have a subtle buildup so that when you look back and say 'the signs were all there and I missed them', that would have been really good. Like, disregarding the fact that any fan of DMC knows Vergil is going to abandon everything for power.

Vergil’s gameplay and story at the end was a lot more compelling than the rest of the game combined. It’s literally the only thing I’m interested in learning more about. 

Final Thoughts

The game was… alright. Not as bad as I expected it to be, but I’m not sure I would call it good, either. There were a lot of really interesting concepts that just didn’t reach their full potential. The ‘hard’ elements like design and combat were there, but the characters and story were lacking. Making a DMC game heavily influenced by the Divine Comedy is a great idea! 

I think that there are two things that really held this game back. 

Making it a DMC game. As its own thing, it could have been really good. Could they have told a story based on the Divine Comedy with twins named Dante and Vergil without stepping on DMC’s toes? Probably not. But with some changes, it could have worked.

The marketing. I didn’t see it in real time, but we’ve all heard of the weirdly homophobic marketing for this game. And I think that really soured people’s opinions of the game. Still does, tbh. ‘Dante is not a gay cowboy’ as if that isn’t his entire appeal….

Anyway, I don’t think it quite deserves the hate it gets. If you go in knowing you’re not getting a ‘real’ DMC game, it’s not bad. 

Rating: 5/10 

[journalsouppe]

Mwah Mwah Mwah I love you the Adventure of Link <3 You're a tough game but you don't deserve all the hate you get. OUGH yall i love this game so much the soundtrack slaps incredibly hard

Genuinely one of my favorite Zelda games esp in terms of lore and musici, if I grew up in the 80s and played this this game would've been my special interest for sure

The stickers are from the ALTTP sticker pack by Comstock Cafe and I just took the stickers that were the most generic to use for this game and the original Legend of Zelda ^_^;

Writing typed below!

Rating: 8.0 Played: Sp 2023 Port: NES Switch Special Edition (YES I PLAYED THE EASY VERSION I WAS TRYING TO BEAT THIS BEFORE TOTK)

Comments

Initial thoughts: reminds me of the claymation mythology movies (aka Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans)

This reminds me a lot of Joust

little link statue <3

this feels nothing like a zelda game

(in reference to above comment) the mechanics are a little off putting but this is actually a very zelda game, it takes getting used to but i'm enjoying it

I'm actually really obsessed with the zelda II lore and story, love the magic system

omg the iron knuckle

interesting bosses! it would be fun to see them return

damn gooma was so hard

wolfheads can burn in hell

I like how much the future zelda games are insp by this game!!!

how would you ever know how to find new kasuto without a guide T^T

FUCK WIZZROBES

-> they were't too bad in this game bc you can actually block them (I hate top down wizzrobes and hate a visceral reaction lol)

i absolutely love that you can turn into a fairy, this should've been a reused mechanic

"this is the first game where Link shape shifts as well as the first game where the process is voluntary and beneficial" oh my god T^T

I love how Barba/Volvagian returned in Ocarina!!!! LOVE!!

I FORGOT THE CROSS

It's funny how Link can't swim in these games so he walks on water instead

items collected are used in the overworld

I love this game a lot actually

the mega demon looking bubble?? T-T

the regional differences are really interesting

the design of the thunderbird is crazy cool

love the shadow link fight also insane you don't get to heal and replenish magic

zelda and link having 2 different styles is so funny, link looks so goofy

This game had a massive difficulty spike compared to the original The Legend of Zelda game. However, I loved this game so much and you can see how much influence games like OOT and TWW took from it. The music is incredible and iconic, I love the enemy designs and their grittiness, and I love how despite never playing this game before, I had a lot of nostalgia for it bc I played Joust as a kid. This was a great sequel for its time and continued the story well -- Link has gotten 2/3 of the triforce pieces and rescued zelda and defeated Ganon in the first game. Now he has to complete multiple trials in order to get the triforce of courage and save zelda from the past. The end fight being a 2 boss rush AND the true boss being the shadow of youself -- AKA the hardest boss in the series if you don't cheese the battle, it's great what an incredible idea. And OOT used it again with another incredible idea -- reflection, conquer yourself. Are you a true hero if you can't even outmatch, out wit, out last your own self, your own shadow? UGH as a huge OOT fan I just loved this game and seeing all the influence it had. I'd def play it again in the future.

[wellthebardsdead]

Some Fun facts about Wyrm

Hes terrified of dogs. One of his earliest memories is being attacked by someone’s pet Nix hound who wanted his food. Since then anything vaguely dog or nix shaped scares him half to death. Meeting barbas did in fact make him faint from both fear and shock.

He’s neuro spicy coded. No particular diagnosis but leaning towards autistic. He’s both very empathetic but often struggles reading people and taking context from passive comments, so he tends to take things quite literally but is also quite witty and sarcastic himself.

He really wants a pet Scrib but Urag is terrified of them. So you can imagine the scream the old orc made when he returned home with two Elytra nymphs in tow.

Before meeting team dragonborn, Brelyna Maryon, Onmund & J’zargo are his only friends in his mental age group that aren’t made of machinery, and they are also the very first students in his whole life in the collage who befriended him rather than finding him odd or annoying.

He has a bad habit of falling asleep in odd places while reading or working. Urag has found him on top of a bookshelf before more than once.

He heavily dislikes Savos Aren being the arch mage and is the only person in the college who knows he sacrificed his classmates to escape the dragon priest.

He sometimes offers sugar cookies to the magicka fountains around the collage so the auger knows someone’s thinking of him.

He loves insects but is partial to moths.

He’s terrible at self regulating and due to ash exposure at a young age he breathes deeper than he needs to when crying and thus ends up giving himself the hiccups each and every time.

Outside of the tribunal nightmares he’s been suffering from recently, he’s only ever dreamt of the stories Urag would read to him, or a night sky with a single moon and star, and what sounds like bells ringing softly in the distance.

He is ridiculously clumsy.

His favourite joke is to pull his Pearl eye out, rub it on his shirt and put it back in when seeing something ridiculous or unbelievable.

His three favourite professors are Tolfdir, Mirabelle, and Faralda with Miss Colette coming in fourth purely because her lessons are too early in the morning and he misses out on precious sleep in time.

Enthir is very much a (sometimes annoying) big brother figure to him despite being shorter lol.

His favourite snack is any type of jerky, but he’s partial to scrib jerky when he can get it.

Tried drinking alcohol once and regretted it immediately. Prefers tea instead.

He frequently gets tangled up in his floor length hair in his sleep but still forgets to braid it every time. Urag has found him inching his way across the floor like a worm (pun intended) more than once after cocooning himself in it from tossing and turning.

He hates boiled cream treats and any type of jelly, the texture is a huge no for him. Mushrooms are an even bigger no.

[strawberrymilkster]

Energy in DmC: Devil May Cry

So I previously made a post about weapons in DmC (and it was supposed to include a section about energy) but… I accidentally posted before it was finished?

So, I don’t use tumblr very much (I had it uninstalled for a while), and I don’t know very well how to navigate it. Anyway, I wanted to talk about the weapons and energy because I feel like they are overlooked a lot even within the reboot fandom.

I was gonna type a huge thing out in the DmC Brotherhood Server, but I figured I wanted something that could be “linked” so I could use it in different occasions/ chats. So I redownloaded tumblr to make that

I typed as far as I got in the last post then accidentally hit “post” and immediately tried to delete the posting process and bring it up as a draft. But, I’d thought I’d lost it? So I just gave up, uninstalled tumblr, and went off in the discord.

Then, a couple days later, someone was like “hey did you write that post on tumblr?”

And I was like “bro, that posted??”

Anyway, thanks to everyone who read that. Here is the second part before I inevitably delete tumblr again and disappear into the void.

(I don’t know how to like the comments, but I appreciated the nice comments.)

So, the way energy works in DmC: Devil May Cry is… somewhat akin to Bleach (the anime/ manga) but obviously there are significant differences. Not to mention the hollows, which are based on the same poem as Bleach’s were, apparently.

One could also easily see comparisons into that of the Metaverse from Persona 5 (Palaces and distorted desires/ perceptions)

A lot of people don’t really… understand how “energy” or “power” works in DmC. Especially in regards to Lilith and her death. (That entire scene is consistently misinterpreted and misrepresented to begin with, but we should stay focused.)

There is the human world. And then there is an angel realm and a demon realm. The angel and demon realm seem to be at some kind of consistent war. I’m not entirely sure how that works? Their planes may be on a more even level with that of the human realm. So humans aren’t really perceptive of the angelic/ demon realm, but the angels and demons can perceive and interact with eachother. (Perhaps they in spirit are very akin to eachother, somewhat like how Nero and Mundus in the original series are almost angelic in nature. That might explain more how Angelic and Demonic weapons work in limbo.)

If there were ever a sequel to DmC, I’d hope they could shed some more light on the angels perspective and world.

So- humanity cannot directly interact with the demons, but a sort of “in between” plane of existence has been discovered by Mundus and the demons (Limbo), and they use this to extract humanities power through indirect means. This being through propaganda, poisoned Mountain Dew, and directly possessing the humans.

Vergil describes “demon collaborators” or seemingly humans working alongside demon kind consentingly or not so much. We see them in the opening cutscene, pointing at Dante, as he tries to ignore them. But, they are actively dragging him into limbo and calling demonic attention to him. They also appear when Dante and Vergil are discussing the “Nephilim.”

So, the demons cannot really directly do anything to humanity, but from limbo, they can have underlying manipulation and control.

The especially powerful demons can take “human bodies” that can have a real presence in the human world and have more of a foot in humanities door. But, this comes at a great price. We see three powerful demons do this. Bob Barbas, Lilith, and Mundus.

In DmC, the demons have a sort of “atmospherics energy that plays into their designs and powers. The respective demon will be stronger so long as they are in their “palace” though they are still susceptible to death so long as their “human body” is killed.

Bob Barbas

Bob Barbas controls the “digital media.” He has a direct link to the many cameras scattered throughout the city, he loosely reigns over the city’s prison system, and his human form has a political and social death grip on humanity.

This is expressed in the art direction, in that Bob is a floating digital whirlpool of screens that shoots lasers at you. He doesn’t fight you directly. He conceals his human body, and fights you as a digital image. With the “eye” or that which monitors the people, being his weakness. And when you traverse into his “eye” you physically go into live news footage. He’s digital, indirect, and he’s hiding his weakness from you. Not to mention, he’s in a surveillance tower. But with a couple bullets to his “human body” he’s easily disposed of.

Digital media and surveillance is Bobs “domain”

Lilith

Lilith’s big thing in this plot is that she is intentionally written as one of Mundus’ “whores.” Which may seem cruel, but the point is that Mundus doesn’t care about her (in contrast to how Dante values Kat- and Vergil more values what Kat offers. Foreshadowing that Vergil shares certain traits with Mundus that are destructive.)

Anyway, the demon king values Lilith’s “service” through their child more than her. So, you fight the spawn instead of her directly.

Lilith’s speciality aside from being the spawns mother, is clubbing and narcotics. She, akin to the succubus, uses substances to control humanity, primarily various drugs of sorts that she encourages humans to consume at her club. And her Club is her “palace” where reality is blurred the most, humans are most susceptible, and she is the most powerful/ safe.

The club twists and contorts to her will, but she is a coward, who primarily is valued (and seems to value most herself) by Mundus’ spawn. So, she hides herself… within her monstrous child. A reverse narrative on birth, and a mother’s protection. Lilith is vile and would rather put her child on the front lines to protect herself.

Anyway, so Dante can slap Lilith around mid fight. And I think that’s more of a “gameplay” quirk than anything. One of those things that can happen while the player is operating Dante, rather than being explicitly canon that Dante hits her 50 times with a demonic axe (in her human form) and she’s fine.

When Lilith, canonically, is brought away from her domain, the club, she is immensely weakened. And her body can be destroyed just like a normal humans. (It could in limbo as well, she just now doesn’t have the atmospheric power to protect herself) This is why Vergil can shoot her and kill her. She both made the decision to utilize a human body to begin with, and stepped away from her domain as a hostage.

Mundus

Then there is Mundus. We know that he is a lot like Bob and Lilith where if he steps away from the hell gate, he’s in danger. That serves as the source of his power, but overall, his domain is the city. One can be killed in their domain (ex- Bob) but it’s their body that needs to be killed and it’s more conveniently concealed in Limbo.

Despite the hell gate providing an extra layer of protection, the city overall is still his. And a large part of Limbos collective “hive mind” system comes back to him. He’s just always being particularly protective of his human body with the hellgate, though he’s arguably still unfathomably strong away from it- just more susceptible because of his human body.

The city being his domain is seen in that the final fight takes place on top of numerous sky scrapers, as buildings and people are being sucked into Mundus, almost like a vortex. The hellgates destruction serves to throw the balance of the planes out of wack. And Mundus’ city wide power utilizes that to his advantage, building an enormous shield of power with everything that surrounds him.

But, his human body is still just as susceptible as ever. And that’s how he’s killed.

Limbo and Nephilim

I meantioned Limbo being a hive mind, because it is. That’s why it can taunt Dante, and why even small demons can pull Dante in. It’s like a big spiritual consciousness that demons have respective control of depending on their power.

Bob - Digital Media

Lilith - the club

Mundus - the city

But, Nephilim can traverse these planes. Go in and out, and their “human” body is an appearance. They hold the same amount of susceptibility no matter where they are. And that’s very little to begin with, having regenerative powers and just being incredibly powerful overall.

So, Dante’s devil trigger is also a utilization of this. He is quite literally using the same kind of “spacial control” that the three demons use, but he can transport it anywhere. It’s more innate, as a traveler of worlds.

When he wishes, he can expend great force, creating a swirling whirlwind, obliterating gravity, and slowing time. He is bending energy to his will, but, it’s not tied to any respective place. It’s just something he carries with him at all times. DT is just taking full control of the spacial energy around Dante.

Vergil is a bit more… odd? He doesn’t utilize his spiritual energy the same way, he creates a doppleganger. Which is decently representative of the fact that he is “two faced” and doesn’t really have full comfort in himself. He’s all about “ideals” so it would make sense that his use of this energy is to “separate” himself in two. And how big of a plot point the hollows (or other selves) are to him. Not to mention my last point (in the weapons post) of Yamato being a “separator”

A really cool detail I noticed is that when the Nephilim fight in the final mission, it takes place over the whole city. There is an entire view of what the Nephilim fight to achieve. Vergil wants control of humanity, Dante wants absolute freedom. And so their fight is on high ground overlooking the very thing they are fighting over and have created.

Throughout this fight, the sun shines a bright red. But is slowly engulfed by dark, blue storm clouds, the more they fight. And when Vergil unleashes his true power, the ground is struck everywhere by blue lightning, and the red sun is nearly overwhelmed. The lightning storm also appears when Vergil fights his hollow self. Reboot Vergil is quite literally the storm that is approaching.

This is both excellent visual representation (per usual) on Ninja Theories part, but also quite literally the sheer atmospheric power of the Nephilim. When they fight, the world quakes and the weather bends to their wills. It’s so cool.

There’s probably more but I’m gonna conclude here thanks for reading.

[storiesofsvu]

Who is your favorite Elizabeth Marvel character to write for and what makes you decide on a fic when a one shot turns into multi lol? Sorry I just like getting to know writers and I’ve been going through a lot mentally and your fics have helped a lot!

oh man that's tough! Her big three are all so incredibly similar yet drastically different it's a journey to write for any of them (Rita Calhoun, Heather Dunbar, Elizabeth Keane)

You can take HUGE liberties with Heather as she wasn't around that long and you only learn so much about her from the show. I also feel like the HOC & Homeland fandoms are much more based around the show entirely, not her character, so maybe there are more fandom hc's out there for either of them that i'm not aware of. Heather's super fun because I've played around with her a lot, I have a version/universe of her that is pretty toxic, the extreme s*gar m*mmy, having affair type. Or we have the other end of the spectrum that's divorced or open marriage kinda thing where it's all happy.

Keane, is cold, she's political, she lets her anger get in the way of her emotions more often. She's fun to write for, but I much prefer the "retired and moved out to boston with her loved one" version of keane. I like those kinda fluffy stories.

I think Rita would have to win simply based off not only the variety of stories you can pull from the SVU universe, but also the other characters. There's more to play off of, there's more fanon hc's for her that everyone believes (her & barba went to harvard together, it was her yacht, she comes from the uec and knows money but also knows what it's like to work to get it). She's got layers, she's this ice queen, sassy, bantering, kind of a bitch, scary to some, bad ass defence attorney, but when she's alone with her partner, esp in the privacy of her own home, she's the softest bitch you'll ever meet. She's also clueless about a couple of things. While Heather comes from more money and makes more money, Rita had more of a sheltered upbringing and didn't get to venture into the "real" world of new york a lot until she was in college. Like, meeting Rafael was like meeting an alien to her. If there is one of beth's character's that is the "it's a banana michael, how much could it be? $7?" meme, it's Rita. And that's super fun to play around with in fics.

as for deciding something is going to be a series, it's usually just an idea that is going to take longer than one chapter to get through. I generally tend to come up with my series ideas on my own and one shots are usually requests ive gotten, or if i'm bored and going through prompt lists to inspire myself. Some one shots could easily be turned into series, and others are wrapped up enough as one. 'Her Everything' was a prompt req and once i figured out how to make it int a story i did a one shot. Upon finishing I realized I had the chance to REALLY explore out the background to the one shot, that would make the heartbreak and betrayal even worse, and then continue the story afterwards to actually wrap it up. So i wrote a series around it.

Generally, if the idea cannot start, happen, bloom, conflict, resolve and end in under like... i dunno 15k words? then it has enough meat to be worked out into a multi part series. I don't like things that are smushed together, happening to quickly, things take time, even in stories.

hopefully that makes sense lol

thanks for asking!

[naerys-arryn]

Daella lives:

With Addam Hull becoming Laena's dragon knight in the latest chapter:

Kinda makes think of a possible Addam/Larissa (if Aemon survives with Naerys around, Addam just bonded with another riderless dragon).

I just think is funny picturing Marilda thinking that at least her older son has more sense than going after every skirt that goes past him, contrary to Alyn, just to have Addam bring Larissa for dinner.

Very much "ny witch gf and me doing whatever she wants" energy

Larissa would probably think Addam is a fitting blood sacrifice to the gods, before realizing that the ocean gods like him and decides to date him for a little bit before getting bored and him still following her despite her basically living with the Boltons for four years after the Dance and maybe having some type of relationship with Barba Bolton, before also getting bored and deciding she wants to go to Assahi by the Shadow.

[iobsessoverfictionalmen]

The Taste of Revenge (5)

Warnings: canon typical violence, mentions of non-consensual drugging, descriptions of character death, mentions and descriptions of jail, car crashes, descriptions of drowning, lying, manipulation, guns, yandere themes, cursing, mafia AU, mafia Rafael Barba (trust me, he needs the warning), spoilers for Hannibal, references to Leverage, past Frederick Chilton/Rafael Barba, NSFW moments and angst.

Chapter 5

“While my expertise as a doctor is normally used to identify the cause of death for those no longer with us, I am grateful that you are very much alive.”

You peered up at Ducky as the older man gazed down at you with a fond and worried expression.  Even with the blanket draped across your shoulders, you could feel the chill in the air.  It also didn’t help that the back of the ambulance where you were sitting was cold.  Your trembling hands pulled the blanket tighter around you, hoping for some respite from the elements and the movement caused your shoulder to twinge painfully.

Ducky’s expression grew severe as he noticed your wince and his gaze swivelled to examine Sterling, “He should have given more thought to your welfare.”

Your lips twitched in a smile at the doctor’s protectiveness.  “Ducky…”

The man shook himself, “My apologies.  Should haves have no place in reality.” 

“Your shoulder will be tender for a few days.”  Palmer reported, “And you have several shallow scratches near the bruised area.  Other than that, you were remarkably lucky.”

“Yeah, lucky.”  You echoed.  Your mind replayed the moment when you were guided out of the water by your saviour.  You were certain that it was a male because of the timbre of his voice and the broad chest that you felt pressing against your back.

You blew out a breath and Palmer patted you on your uninjured shoulder.  “On the plus side, your shoulder is now very colourful.”  You knew Jimmy was trying to cheer you up but it didn’t quite have the desired effect.  Judging by his expression, Ducky was also unimpressed with Jimmy’s words.

“Come Mr. Palmer, we are needed elsewhere.”

Ducky and Palmer were gone moments later, leaving you alone with your thoughts.  The familiar voice of your rescuer and the Spanish term of what you guessed was endearment only pointed to one person being your mysterious rescuer.  The fact that he fled once he was sure that you were safe to avoid the emergency vehicles rushing to your location further solidified your belief in your rescuer’s identity.  Despite the theory being clear in your mind, you knew that you needed the proof to back it up.

The sound of a stone skittering across the pavement jolted you from your reverie.  Glancing across the cordoned off road, you tried to identify the source of the noise.  Your team stood in a circle a fair distance from the ambulance but close enough that they could react quickly if necessary.  Your eyes landed on Bishop who discreetly motioned with her hand in Sterling’s direction.  Following the movement, you noticed that Sterling’s head was tipped slightly to the right and he was staring straight at your teammates.

Sterling hadn’t noticed your gaze and although you were grateful for that small mercy, dread curled in your stomach as you realised that the reason that he was focused so intently on your team was because he was reading Tony’s lips as he spoke.

Not wanting to take the chance that Sterling would notice you watching him, you shifted on the floor of the ambulance and focused on the tree on the opposite side of the road.

“Sterling has nothing to gain from eavesdropping on Tony’s words or any conversations.  Because of our deal, he’ll have access to the NCIS network and resources.  And despite our history, no one on the team is the type to withhold information on a case.”

No clearer to figuring out the motive of Sterling’s actions, your gaze fell to the base of the tree and you spotted a butterfly flittering around it.  You watched the butterfly fly around the tree in a circle twice and a small smile touched your lips.  You were always filled with a sense of wonder at the fact that nature continued to cycle through the circle of life whenever there was chaos.

The butterfly returned to its starting position and you thought that it would complete another lap around the tree.  Halfway through its third lap, the butterfly abruptly abandoned its lap of the tree, choosing instead to shoot off in a completely different direction.

Clarity descended on you.  You weren’t the intended target of the car chase.  Sterling was.  That would explain why he was eavesdropping on the team’s conversation.  He wanted to know what they knew about the car chase and the case.

“Barba knew where we were which means that someone had to tip him off.  Yes, Sterling’s agents are conspicuous and Barba is persuasive but Sterling would have been picky when it came to his team.  He would have wanted agents that are dedicated to the cause.  His cause.  No one on the NCIS team would even consider the possibility of betraying one of their own.  That leaves only one person who could have a connection to Rafael Barba.”

Arms wrapped around your shoulders firmly but gently and your eyes met Abby’s pale green eyes.  Abby was an expressive person and today was no different.  Her eyes swirled with a mixture of emotions.  You identified relief, concern, and a touch of fear.

“I’m okay Abby.”  You promised her.

Abby pulled back from the hug and fixed you with a doubtful expression.  “Don’t lie!  You know I hate that.”  You looked over at your boss, who had walked over with Abby, for support and then you noticed that he was wearing an identical expression to Abby.  As soon as you saw that expression, you knew that you would have to convince both of them and that would be just as challenging as the car chase and your dip in the river that you endured.

“Abby.  I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Her disbelieving expression shifted into a critical one, “Gibbs.  Make her stay home until she’s better.”

“No.”

“No?”  Gibbs repeated.  “Give me one good reason why you shouldn’t leave the case to us.”

You lifted your chin and gazed up at your boss defiantly before darting over to Abby and peering over her shoulder.  Just as you suspected, Sterling’s gaze was now lingering on the three of you but he was moving his eyes around the scene to make it seem like he wasn’t staring outright at you. 

“Abby, can you move to the left?”

Abby stepped to her left, closer to Gibbs.

“Now I need you to open your umbrella.”

“(Surname)!”

“I promise you there’s a reason and I’ll explain everything.”

Your boss’ eyes searched your face and with the tiniest, imperceptible nod from him, Abby opened her umbrella so that it was shielding your small group.

“Rafael Barba was the one who pulled me from the river.”

“What?” Gibbs demanded harshly.  Years of working alongside Gibbs had taught you that that ‘what’ didn’t mean he didn’t believe what you were saying, it meant that he was angry at the thought of a criminal escaping justice.  You also knew that he wasn’t asking you to repeat yourself.  The thought occurred to you that he could refuse your request and dismiss you from the case anyway because of Rule 10 but you pushed that thought to the side and continued your explanation.

“I noticed Sterling lip reading earlier.  I need you to find out who authorised Barba’s freedom and why without him knowing.  I have a few ideas but I need something concrete before I accuse him.”

The anger on Gibbs’ face remained as he processed your words.  He and Abby came to the same conclusion that you had.

“You weren’t the target.  Sterling was.”  Your boss’ voice was tight.

You nodded, “Whatever he’s done, it’s coming back to haunt him.  If he had a hand in Barba’s release, that might explain the ex-ADA’s interest but I get the feeling it’s more than that.  Besides, why would Barba try to kill him if Sterling engineered his release from prison?  When we were in the supermarket, his words didn’t sound right.  They sounded too rehearsed.  But I think that was the reason he gave his agents before they journeyed to DC under the cover of the external review.  There has to be someone else involved and they’re close to Sterling.  That’s why he’s worried and why he needs us on the case.”

Your boss took in your defiant expression and the conviction in your voice, “I’ll look into it.”

“Thank you, boss.”

Gibbs jerked his head in your direction, “Keep an eye on her.”  He instructed Abby before striding away.

“Yes ma’am.”  Abby saluted before closing her umbrella.

“I feel like I should be worried right now.”

“You’re not leaving my sight.”  Abby vowed as Sterling made his way over to you.

“The cars are nearly ready to take us back to your base.  I don’t think that the two of us are such a bad luck charm that another car chase will occur if we return to NCIS headquarters in the same car.”  Sterling commented.  Taking in his profile, you noted that his brow was wrinkled and you wondered how much of that was due to the fact that he couldn’t eavesdrop on your conversation with Gibbs and Abby.  His frown reinforced your theory that he was worried about someone close to him being hurt by Barba.

“(Name) will be riding with me and Ziva.”  Abby retorted.

Sterling smirked, “I suppose that’s where you learned the manoeuvres.”

Knowing that he was referring to the unorthodox methods you had used to remove your pursuers, you scoffed in response.  “Those manoeuvres saved your life.  The people tailing us weren’t interested in filing an insurance form for lost monies.”

You pushed yourself upwards and climbed out of the ambulance.  With the blanket still around your shoulders, you walked confidently over to Ziva with Abby following half a step behind you.

“Nice attire.”  Ziva greeted you.

“I’m hoping to bring the poncho look back.”

“In that case, you’re wearing it the wrong way.”  Ziva quipped as she moved over to her car.

On the spur of the moment, you decided to climb into the back and close your eyes.  Ziva seemed to sense your fatigue because her driving was calmer, though she did spit out insults in Hebrew five times throughout the drive.  That may have been because another driver did something stupid on the road.  Or because Abby was filling her in on what you had told her and Gibbs.

Either way, when you felt the car slowing down, you opened your eyes and were struck by the familiarity of the NCIS base.  The façade of the building hadn’t changed at all during your short absence.  The gardens were nicely pruned and the lawns were cropped and green.

On the inside, you were willing to bet that it was a completely different story.  You could imagine the bustling people and the level of noise within the building.  When the car came to a complete stop, you unwillingly unfastened your seatbelt and climbed out of the car.  In silence, the three of you climbed into the lift and Ziva pressed the button.

You leaned against the bars on the inside of the lift and wrapped your hands around the bar at the bottom.  As the lift climbed, you found yourself regretting that you had pushed to continue to be included in the case.  Now that your adrenalin had worn off, all you wanted to do was curl up underneath the covers of your bed and stay there for several days.

The lift doors open to reveal Doctor Chilton standing close to Tony’s desk.  His eyes zeroed in on you and scanned you from head to toe.  Again, you were struck by the feeling that he had more than a professional concern for your welfare.

“Your team told me what happened when they returned.”

“That’s strange.  I thought you had been informed prior to that.”

The tap of Doctor Chilton’s fingers against the head of his cane revealed his nervousness.  He rallied quickly, “I’ve been asked to conduct a psychological evaluation.  From what I’ve heard, you have some experience with those.”

“Identifying meaningless splotches on paper is not an adequate evaluation.”  Ziva snapped.

“That practice was discontinued years ago.”

“But you do not deny that your methods are questionable, yes?”

“My methods are not up for dispute.  Either (Name) undergoes the psychological evaluation or forfeits her right to work as an agent.”

“How can you still think that pushing (Name) into a corner will get you what you want?  Didn’t you learn anything from what happened in the conference room?” Abby demanded.

“I now know not to trust Anthony DiNozzo with keys.”  Doctor Chilton fired back.

“Enough all of you!”  You commanded, “I’ll do the evaluation.”

Doctor Chilton grinned smugly, “Glad to hear it.”

 In an effort to maintain your control, you pressed your tongue to the back of your teeth.  “You probably want me to leave any sharp objects on my desk before I do this review, right?”

Doctor Chilton stiffened and his smirk dropped.  You immediately knew that you had unknowingly touched on a sore subject.

“That would be greatly appreciated.”  He ground out.

Abby held out her hand, “Give them to me.  I’ll take care of your gun and badge.”

You handed them over and then pulled up your right pant leg to reveal the hilt of the knife that you had stashed in your sock.  Grasping the hilt, you pulled it out of your sock and handed it to Abby hilt first.

Abby accepted the knife without an ounce of surprise.  Ziva too wore a disinterested expression.  Doctor Chilton was the only one affected by the reveal of your weapon.  He coughed and cast a wary glance at your once again covered leg as you, Abby and Ziva stepped out of the elevator.

“That would be quite uncomfortable to walk with.”

“Better to have a bit of discomfort than have your survival depend on a knife that you don’t have.”

Doctor Chilton gave no reply and moved past you, leading you to the conference room.

“Hey, (Name).”  Tony whispered from his seat at his desk.  His right hand was curled into a fist and resting on his desk.  You saw Doctor Chilton stop and turn around to face the bullpen.

You raised your eyebrows, “What, Tony?”

Tony opened his hand to reveal a key.  With an underarm throw, he tossed the key in your direction and you stretched out your uninjured arm to catch the key.

“You might need it,” he winked.

You grinned in response.  The sound of someone clearing their throat reached your ears and you twisted your head to look in Doctor Chilton’s direction.  He was frowning at you impatiently and you made sure that he continued to watch you as you slid the key into your pocket.  It didn’t take you too long to draw level with him and without a word, Doctor Chilton resumed walking down the hall.

Unlike last time, there were no Interpol agents guarding the doors of the conference room.  Doctor Chilton moved into the room and after casting a disapproving look around it, sat down at the head of the table and gazed at you expectantly.  You understood that you had two choices: take a seat in one of the chairs on Doctor Chilton’s side which would place you closer to the Doctor than you wanted to be or give into your feelings of pettiness and sit at the other end of the table.  If you chose this option, you would run the risk of Doctor Chilton terminating the psychological evaluation and dismissing you from NCIS.

You sat in the chair on Doctor Chilton’s right.

The doctor laced his fingers together and examined you, “That was quite the ordeal you went through.”

“Are you referring to the car chase or the case with SVU?”

He frowned, “Why would I refer to your case with SVU?”

You leaned forwards and propped your chin on your hands, “Because you’re working for Barba.”  You replied simply.

“Disorientation is a normal side effect of any trauma.  I-”

“Don’t try that.  I know it was you who contacted Barba and told him where Sterling was.”  You didn’t know that for certain but after you had finished your sentence, Doctor Chilton’s hand twitched on his cane again.

“You just weren’t expecting me to be in the car with him.”  You continued, “Somehow Barba found out that Sterling wasn’t the only occupant of the car and he risked being recaptured to pull me out of the river.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to try that?”  You barked out, dropping your hands to the table, “Stop treating me like I’m stupid.  If you’ve done your homework on me and I’m pretty sure that you have, you would know that I was part of the BAU.  Our job was to use information and observe behavioural ticks and tells to determine who was guilty so that we could save the innocent.  Your tell, Doctor Chilton, is that when you’re nervous, your hand twitches on your cane.  I could go into the psychology of the action but I think I’ll spare the both of us that lecture.”

Doctor Chilton’s hand twitched again and you fixed him with a frosty glare as you stood up, “We’re done here.  I’m going to go back to my team and figure out why Barba was released from federal prison and by whom.  In the meantime, I suggest you return to Baltimore as soon as possible.  It won’t look good for you when we find out why you are working with Barba.”

The door to the conference room opened and you pivoted around to see who interrupted.  Your eyes landed on Director Vance and before he opened his mouth to speak, you knew from the aged look in his brown eyes that the case had somehow just become even more complicated.

“We have a situation.  Rafael Barba has just surrendered himself to us.”

[docrotten]

DR. SATÁN (1966) – Episode 177 – Decades Of Horror: The Classic Era

“I have just completed the final test on a beggar. I have given him the serum XX-34 in the center of his neck and he died. But immediately, I injected the antidote and he returned to life. … After that, death is inevitable. I succeeded and now I can make any living being into a zombie. I can create soulless slaves loyal only to my wishes.” Sign me up for some of the XX-34 stuff! Join this episode’s Grue-Crew – Chad Hunt and Jeff Mohr along with guest Chris Peters – as they discuss Dr. Satán (1966), a fun Mexican horror mashup.

Decades of Horror: The Classic Era Episode 177 – Dr. Satán (1966)

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ANNOUNCEMENT Decades of Horror The Classic Era is partnering with THE CLASSIC SCI-FI MOVIE CHANNEL, THE CLASSIC HORROR MOVIE CHANNEL, and WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL Which all now include video episodes of The Classic Era! Available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, Online Website. Across All OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop. https://classicscifichannel.com/; https://classichorrorchannel.com/; https://wickedhorrortv.com/

Interpol officer Mateos and his companion Nora are in charge of discovering and capturing the members of a shady organization that has been flooding Mexico City with counterfeit dollars. What they don’t know is that these dollars help Dr. Arrozamena (aka Dr. Satán) and his research to turn people into mindless zombies who obey only the Doctor’s orders.

  Directed by: Miguel Morayta

Writing Credits: José María Fernández Unsáin; Sidney T. Bruckner (story) (credited as S. Tomás Be)

Produced by: Sidney T. Bruckner

Music by: Luis Hernández Bretón

Cinematography by: Raúl Martínez Solares

Editing by: Carlos Savage

Selected Cast:

Joaquín Cordero as Dr. Plutarco Arozamena – Satán

Alma Delia Fuentes as Nora

José Gálvez as Inspector Tomás Mateos

Judith Ruiz Azcarraga as Elsa

Gina Romand as Luisa

Carlos Agostí as Baltasar

Quintín Bulnes as Javier Rodríguez: Cain

Antonio Raxel as Daniel (as Antonio S. Raxel)

Roy Fletcher as Agente policía

Gerardo Zepeda as Dino (Zombi)

Fernando Saucedo as Médico forense

Queta Carrasco as Testiga rapto (credited as Enriqueta Carrasco)

Manuel Trejo Morales as Carcelero

Francisco Meneses as Agente policía (as Francisco G. Meneses)

Arturo Fernández as Mendigo raptado (as Arturo Fernandez)

Magdaleno Barba as Enterrador (uncredited)

Chris Peters joins Chad and Jeff for this police procedural/occult horror. Or is it a spy-gadget, science fiction flick? In this Mexican horror film, you have your mad doctor creating zombies and talking face-to-face with King Devil, a gang of counterfeiters, Interpol agents hunting said counterfeiters, assorted James Bond-type gadgets, a blonde bombshell serving as a liaison between the doctor and the counterfeiters, a woman agent shooting the hell out of a gun, and a plan for world domination. This is a surprisingly fun flick with good acting, a complicated, but well told, story with pathos, strong female characters, and the devil hisownself. Thanks go to former Grue Crew member, Whitney Collazo for picking this episode’s movie!

At the time of this writing, Dr. Satán is available to stream from YouTube.

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror: The Classic Era records a new episode every two weeks. Up next in their very flexible schedule, as chosen by Joseph Perry (a founding member of the Classic Grue Crew), is Curse of the Crimson Altar (1968), aka The Crimson Cult, featuring Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, Barbara Steele, Michael Gough, and H. P. Lovecraft (sort of) in a Tigon production!

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: leave them a message or leave a comment on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel, the site, or email the Decades of Horror: The Classic Era podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com

To each of you from each of them, “Thank you so much for watching and listening!”

Check out this episode!

[watasemasaru]

Uuurhhhghghghhhffhrhghhh, Tell me about the Days Sisters!!! I want to know about themmm....

I have, a big chunk of stuff for you. And a couple photos to get their sense of style

Paternal Grandfather: Sean O. Days

Paternal Grandmother: Hanamaru Days (nee Yamato)

Maternal Grandfather: Yasuyuki Ono

Maternal Grandmother: Caroline Ono (nee James)

Father: Oisín M. Days

Mother: Chieko Ono

Aunts: Jyou Ono, Junko Ono(✝)

Cousins: Wakaba Majima, Kyrie Kashiwagi, Ryuko Makimura

1st cousins once removed (mother's cousins): Otoha Hojo, Aomame Hojo

Shasta Shizuka Days

April 1, 1968 • 4’9” • AB

Spouse: Julio Sanchez

Children: Mana Rose, Shiho Ramona, Mamoru O., Mark Jarvis (adopted)

Likes: Cooking, finding old and inane laws, Ingrid Berman movies

Dislikes: Going Home™, beaches, Rafael Barba

Personality: Shasta as an object is dry ice. You have to insulate yourself against her cold and unyielding demeanor. She is direct, matter of fact, and usually always right and she is graceless in that fact. At work the entire building has dubbed her the End of Days. Despite her frigid temps she is still passionate in what she thinks is right and her unwillingness to back down aids her well. Her best and probably only friend will tell you that Shasta is a very kind person, but is not a nice person…at all. But Shasta didn't always used to be so frigid and domineering. As a girl she was a serious tenderfoot about pretty much everything and sweet. As for why, well good luck getting me to finish anything ever.

Dahlia Eiko Days

July 7, 1973 • 5’11” • B

Uh…we have a thing: Peter Stone

And a whole kid: Kou

Likes: long drives, cigarettes, fast food

Dislikes: formal clothing, cleaning, rock ballads

Personality: A loveable asshole. She's that butch jock chick that you befriend at the bar who doesn't start fights but she finishes them. Dahlia has always been a whatever blows your hair back type of person, rowdy, and bullheaded. She and Shasta will never admit but they're both the exact same kind of asshole when they think they're right about something. Dahlia co-parents her son and if you ask her the hardest part is not being able to smoke in the house anymore.

Sunny Miyu Days

December 13, 1978 • 5’7” • AB

Partner: Rachel Brooks

Children: Yuck

Likes: Carpentry, being outside, eating

Dislikes: Winter, spiders, kids

Personality: Charming with plenty of sass. Sunny is as tomboy southern girl as they come. Unlike her sisters who went to the coasts after college, Sunny after graduating from Ole Miss came back home and hasn't left without any intention to. When she's not working she works on her house, a never ending I'm bored with these cabinets let's build something else renovation project. Rachel hates it. Sunny is of the sisters the most morally wobbly. Where her sisters there's usually a noble cord strung through their actions. Sunny thinks more in literals than concepts.

Ian Hibiki Days

December 13, 1978 • 5’0” • AB

Husband: Antonio Dawson / Rafael Barba (depending on the timeline I'm playing in. I’ve got aus of aus out here. help.)

Children: Alvie Rhian, Ennis Miyabi, Eva (stepd.), Diego (steps.) / Yui Catalina Barba

Likes: Dumas’ works, older jrpgs, 90s movies

Dislikes: Cooking, jewelry like necklaces and bracelets, math

Personality: Like her twin Ian is willing to cross a line, but in pursuit of what she believes to be right or just. Ian is the more even tempered and ingratiating of the four. She's intuitive and observant and tends to make friends easily along with being loyal to the point of devotion. Ian is the wordy type and uses 40 words when 4 will do, most people think it charming. Ian is a homebody but does make a habit to go see a movie once a month and she never misses a local Shakespeare production.

[inmydrcams]

starter 🤍 @astormymind

Is it breaking in to pick the lock to one of your good old pals just so you don’t have to wait out in the rain? Even if they’re not really an old pal but more of a casual acquaintance who has come in handy once or twice for demon business? And who maybe doesn’t love your presence cause they think you always leave a mess everywhere you go and you still owe them for last time? Oh well, m a y b e . Still, she lights a cigarette and makes herself comfortable, sits down and waits looking out at the walls. Of course those are not that interesting so soon after Johanna is getting up from the chair to pace, some type of anxiety bubbling up inside but trying to keep it at bay. Never let them see your weaknesses. 

The cigarette is right about to end when she hears a noise at the door, an actual key opening it this time, and she puts up an itty bitty barrier spell. Don’t know why people keep acting like she's an idiot but she's not taking any chances. Still, there’s a carefree smile on her lips when finally coming face to face with the man known as Alex, who is also the demon known as Barbas. ❝ Long time no see. ❞

[sematarygirls]

random sonny carisi headcanons bc he's the love of my life

                   ౨ৎ

he has the softest lips ever !! he def carries around a little chapstick everywhere, and fin and rollins sometimes tease him about it

he hates strawberry ice cream (but not strawberries themselves), but he absolutely loves mint chocolate chip.

he's also a vanilla bean over french vanilla kind of guy

his breath is so minty. he is always popping mints. whilst he is very neurotic about his oral hygiene (and hygiene in general), it's also just sort of become a habit at this point. nervous about a case? pop a mint! it's kind of soothing in a way.

lady gaga and britney spears are his guilty pleasures. put on bad romance, poker face, toxic, ...baby one more time, and he can't help but at least hum along, and if you say anything about it, he'll throw up his hands and go "what! it's catchy!" in the most defensive tone

his favorite fruit is blueberries

his least favorite fruit is pineapples because of that tingly feeling it leaves on your tongue. plus, ever since he learned that they can eat you back, he's never trusted them.

his favorite grapes are concord grapes, but the first time he tried cotton candy grapes, he was so amazed and bewildered that he ate them for like three weeks straight and told absolutely everyone he knows about them.

he is one of those people who needs a million napkins when he's eating. he's definitely the type to scarf down his food and make a bit of a mess (but in a cute sort of endearing way, not a disgusting slob kind of way)

this man can hold a grudge like no other. even if he doesn't always show it, you are always hearing about it. barba said something that annoyed him? you will never hear the end of it. he will bring it up constantly.

would rather wake up in an ice bath with one of his kidneys missing and no recollection of what happened to him than ever even think of going to an olive garden.

you suggested it once as a joke, and he went on a long-winded rant about how disgraceful olive garden is and would not shut up no matter how many times you tried to tell him you were just joking... you learned your lesson after that.

                    ／

i could go on, but i shan't. these are only a few of the ones that came to mind, but i think of this man way more than i should, so there's definitely lots more. i hope you enjoyed !!

[chandigarhayurved]

What are the Best Herbs for the treatment of Ringworm?

Introduction

Ringworm is a common skin infection that is seen in both children and adults. A fungus known as dermatophyte causes ringworm. Ringworm can affect human being as well as animals. Ringworm infection occurs on the skin areas that are usually warm and moist, such as the skin folds between the toes, groin region, scalp, and fingers among others. Ringworm appears in the form of a circular ring like rash with a clear area in the centre. The edges of the ring are raised, red coloured and scaly.

Types of Ringworm

Ringworm or Tinea goes by many names based on its location on the body

Tinea pedis(Athlete’s foot): On the soles of the feet

Tinea cruris: On the groin inner thighs and buttocks

Tinea barbae: On the beard area

Tinea manuum: On the palms of the hands

Tinea capitis: On the scalp

Tinea unguium: On the fingernails and toenails

Causes of Ringworm

Skin to skin contact like hugs or handshakes with people who are suffering from this skin condition

Sharing objects such as brushes combs

Exposure to Dermatophytes

Ringworm symptoms

Round patches with a raised border and a clear area in the centre

The patch may appear red, pink, grey or brown.

Multiple ring-shaped patches may fuse together and spread to larger area.

Pus-filled boils may also appear around the rash.

Swelling and redness in the groin region are present in the initial stages of infection

Blister- like lesions and itching

Bald patches on scalp

Skin may appear unusually dark or light.

Finger and toenqails tht are discolored, thick or crumble.

Dryness

Types of Ringworm

Ringworm or Tinea goes by many names based on

Best herbs for the treatment of Ringworm

1. Coconut oil

There are both antifungal and microbial properties in coconut oil that can help cure ringworm infection. It’s an effective home remedy for ringworm and infections with other fungi.

Take a coconut oil and apply it directly to the infected area. It will easily absorb into the skin. Apply it at least thrice a day

2. Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar has strong antifungal properties, so it can help treat ringworm when applied to the infected area.

Soak a cotton ball in undiluted apple cider vinegar and gently apply the cotton ball over your skin. Do this twice daily

3. Turmeric

It has various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It’s also an effective antifungal that prevents growth.

Mix turmeric spice, with a small amount of water and mix until it becomes a paste. Apply it to your skin and leave it on until it dries. You can also drink turmeric water or turmeric tea daily to get the internal benefits.

4. Licorice

It has antimicrobial properties, and research has shown that licorice extracts could be used to treat fungal infections. Mix a cup of water with 5 spoons of powdered licorice and bring it to boil. Reduce the heat after boiling and simmer for ten minutes. Until it make a paste, stir. Apply the paste when it is cool, and leave it on for at least 10 minutes. Apply twice a day.

5. Aloe Vera

It has long been used both for bacterial and fungal infections as a natural treatment, and ringworm is no exception. Aloe vera may cure the ringworm and can soothe symptoms of itchiness, inflammation, and discomfort.

Apply alovera gel on affected area. Do this thrice a day

6. Garlic

Garlic has been considered very effective in treating many types of fungal infections. According to research garlic  can be effective in treating ringworm. Slice some garlic into slim pieces or, alternatively, smash them. Rub the garlic on the affected areas around three times daily.

7. Neem

Neem has many medicinal properties. Anti-fungal properties are found in neem, which are helpful in removing fungal infections. To eliminate the problem of ringworm, you can use neem leaves. Grind neem leaves and apply it on the affected area. And you can also use neem water for washing the infected area. To make neem water, boil neem leaves in water for 2 to 3 minutes.

8. Marigold flowers

Marigold flowers have anti-bacterial and anti0viral properties. Make a paste by boiling marigold flower leaves in water. Use this paste 2 to 3 times a day you will see the difference in a few days.

Chandigarh Ayurved Centre made a kit to cure the ringworm of its root cause. ‘Ringworm Go Kit’ that includes natural and pure herbs which have very effective results in the management of Ringworms.

Chandigarh Ayurved Centre made a kit to cure the ringworm of its root cause. We made a ‘Ringworm Go Kit’ that includes natural and pure herbs which have very effective results in the management of Ringworms.

Detox Premium Powder:

Detox premium powder is a very effective ayurvedic medicine to cure skin problems as it purifies the whole body by removing excess toxins from the body. The powder is composed of shukta pishti, giloy satv, gandhak rasayan, moti pishti, akik pishti, shankh bhasma, etc. The ingredient reduces all the signs and symptoms associated with Ringworm and provides a healthy skin.

Recommended Dosage – Take 1 sachet twice daily with normal water.

Twak Tailam:

Twak tailam is very effective for the skin as it deeply nourishes the tissues and improves the skin luster. The tailam is composed of yashtimadhu (Glycyrrhiza glabra), manjistha (Rubia cordifolia), etc. The tailam supports skin health, helps in reducing uneven pigments, improves complexion, and helps in deep detoxification, treats ringworm and blood purification without any side effects. It gives a calming effect on the affected area and reduces swelling, itching, redness, etc.

Method of Application – Apply over the affected area of the skin.

Blood Purifier Syrup:

This is the herbal syrup that removes excess toxins from the blood naturally. The syrup is made up of natural herbs like Giloy (Tinospora cordifolia), Harad (Terminalia bellirica), Amla (Emblica officinalis), Manjistha (Rubia cordifolia), Neem (Azadirachta indica), etc. It is very beneficial in the case of ringworm as it restores the skin to its fullest potential and keeps its elasticity while combating infections.

Recommended Dosage – Take 2 teaspoonful twice daily.

Panchatikta Ghrita Guggulu:

This is the best medicine in the management of ringworm as it subsides all the symptoms and prevents the skin from further infection also. These herbal tablets are prepared from Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Vasa (Adhatoda vasica), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Patola (Trichosanthes dioica), It detoxifies the blood and rejuvenates the skin, reduces skin rashes, redness, dryness, etc.

Recommended Dosage – Take 1 tablet twice daily with normal water.

Skin care tablet:

Skin care tablet is a pure ayurvedic formulation. It helps to maintain the texture of your skin depending on the type of skin you have. It contains various herbs like Haridra khand, Panchnimb churna, Khadir chahal, Chirayta, Mulethi, Chopchini, Gandhak, Ajmoda that work very effectively on all skin types. Skin care is a blood purifying tablet. It cools and detoxifies the blood, increase blood circulation of the skin. It minimizes the blemishes, lighten sun tan, delay ageing of skin and heal skin problems.

Recommended Dosage – Take 1 tablet twice daily.

Twak Churna

This is the herbal formulation of Manjistha and Yashtimadhu that surely cures the ringworm of its root. The churna has best result in relieving the burning sensation, itchiness, redness, reduce the patch, etc

Recommended Dosage – Take 1 teaspoonful twice daily with normal water.

[storiesofsvu]

Alright, happy Thursday hoes, lets get to this.

Mothership first

Okay… interesting open…

Omg…how many times are they gonna use the trope of “don’t touch that!” “who the hell are you?” surprise it’s the new laywer…

Not surprised its another old white dude, but at least he’s not as old as mccoy

Okay seriously…. If they get rid of Samantha I will not be watching this show anymore..

I wonder if they’re going to bring this staff change up on svu too considering this guy is also now carisi’s boss… but the writers seem to have forgotten that these shows all exist together until they want to do a crossover.

If this was svu the ada would be storming into the squad room yelling at the detectives for making a mistake that’s gonna cost them their case. Why don’t we get to see that on mothership? I want more crossing over between departments, cops never show up in the gallery either, just to testify if they’re needed.

Oooo yesss that maroon suit. I see you ma’am!

Man they’re just right fucked with this case aren’t they?

This defence attorney is super crusty

How come these videos are coming up NOW and not before things went to trial??

This judges office is barba’s office. They really only have so many sets, hey? (also the continuity of that office on this show/universe drives me fucking insane).

My subtitles keep cutting in and out and that is also driving me insane

Toronto time.

Will I pay attention? Likely no

JESUS FUCK talk about a cold fucking opening wow.

Big surprise I stopped paying attention halfway through the ep. Like, it’s fully muted right now and I’m working on writing LOL

SVU time

BRUH is this maria stuff ive been seeing all over twitter legit?! I thought people were fucking clowning LOL

Olivia in uniform just fucking makes me so fucking weak every single time

Clearly the other captain hasn’t been in the field a lot if that was her immediate reaction to that crime scene

Okay… hear me out… olivia literally saved maria’s life and stayed on the phone with her ALL night. We all know she has a habit of taking in strays… there’s no doubt maria became a cop because of liv… maria would have reached out TO HER about her graduation, not the other way around…

Velasco getting actual screen time finally. I do have to say, im back on my Velasco bullshit…

LOL. I know it was unintentional but the harshness of velasco’s knock on the door killed me.

4 hours of law and order is too much. Im getting bored and this is the show I actually like. I think imma start skipping Toronto cause mothership does hit some days

If this girl has a good enough lawyer she could easily get off on an insanity type plea… tbh this episode would’ve been way better on criminal minds. That would’ve been bad ass.

This episode is almost over and we got absolutely NO closure on the maria thing AND we didn’t get to go to court. Im OVER this fucking show man lol

Liv being back in her bac nail polish era is bomb though

Fin doesn’t strike me as a scotch guy… this is weird..

Okay… liv is really not okay. Like this girl needs support, she needs proper and regular therapy, she needs a break from work. Go home and spend time with your son instead of drinking cheap wine alone in a bar? Also while we’re talking about drinking alone after work being all sad, can we touch on the fact that her mother was an alcoholic, and that was what *killed* her… this is incredibly worrisome and I doubt we’re ever going to touch on it/get it fleshed out like we should…

Okay we at least got some maria closure. Thank you.

OC time!

Jet *attempting* to control stabler, woof. At least someone’s trying loooll

This bitch is so dead

Part of me feels like its bullshit that se wouldn’t know any of this about her own brother, but also I never talk to my family so…. LOL.

Fuck he’s creepy as shit

There is NO WAY THAT TINY MAN IS THE SAME SIZE AS ELLIOT

The fact that it took THIS long for someone higher up to question his anger/trauma/etc affecting his job is wild.

THE BARTENDER IN ME IS FUCKING DYING. I had a PHYSICAL reaction to that conversation.

“you’ve never had a long island ice tea?!” “I don’t like ice tea it’s too bleh” guy promptly orders two to prove that theyre good? THERE IS NO ICED TEA IN LONG ISLANDS

Cragen’s really just gonna be in the last second of this episode isn’t he?

Everyone: proper ear pieces

Jet: nah. Air pod.

I really thought that stabler was gonna be missing for a like, a good chunk of time with no one knowing.

OHHHH right! The foil he found in the bathroom garbage and immediately licked… right… I forgot about that. Now the question is who it belongs to…..

[jcmarchi]

Impact of Business Support Systems (BSS) on Telecom Ventures - Technology Org

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/impact-of-business-support-systems-bss-on-telecom-ventures-technology-org/

Impact of Business Support Systems (BSS) on Telecom Ventures - Technology Org

The telecommunications industry is a dynamic and competitive arena where effective management of commercial processes serves an important purpose in order to achieve financial and competitive success. Within this landscape, Business Support Systems (BSS) have appeared as indispensable tools, playing a pivotal role in streamlining operations, enhancing customer experiences, and ensuring overall efficiency for telecom ventures.

A telecom company logo – artistic photo. Image credit: Jonathan Kemper via Unsplash, free license

Understanding the key principles of Business Support Systems

Modern Business Support System, or BSS, typically spans a comprehensive suite of applications, platforms, and services designed to support and streamline various business processes within any telecommunications company.

When implemented correctly and efficiently, these systems are tailored according to the needs of a specific company in order to facilitate the management of the most crucial functions such as billing, customer relationship management (CRM), order management, and revenue stream assurance and analysis.

BSS capabilities in telecommunications explained

At the core of BSS capabilities are advanced billing solutions that handle the complexities of telecom services. As a standard, these systems offer flexible BSS billing options, and provide functionalities for real-time charging, while also offering extensive invoicing functionalities.

Compared to “classic” business models, these systems ensure much more accurate and transparent billing. This, in turn, fosters customer trust and loyalty.

Any top-level BSS should have the possibility of seamless integration with automated Customer Relationship Management platforms, enabling telecom companies to gain a 360-degree view of their customers. This type of integration enhances customer interactions by providing personalized services, targeted promotions, and effective issue resolution.

BSS in telecom industry serves as an important tool ultimately leading to better customer experiences and increased overall satisfaction. Image credit: Myznik Egor via Unsplash, free license

Efficient order processing is also critical in the telecom industry, and BSS solutions streamline the order management process, reducing order fulfillment times and minimizing errors. This results in enhanced operational efficiency and improved customer satisfaction.

BSS products for telecom are no less important as tools for revenue assurance by implementing robust mechanisms to detect and rectify revenue leakages. This ensures that telecom ventures maximize their revenue streams and maintain financial health.

What are the specifics of Business Support Systems in the telecom industry?

In the telecom context, BSS products must be designed to meet the unique needs of telecommunications companies.

Digital business support platforms in telecommunications use the holistic approach of utilizing business support systems to manage and optimize various business processes within a telecom venture. The BSS platform serves as the technological infrastructure that supports the deployment of various BSS solutions.

This type of BSS platform must be designed to be scalable, flexible, and capable of integrating with other telecom systems.

BSS in telecom industry, whether it’s prepaid or postpaid billing, subscription management, or network usage tracking, BSS automates and streamlines critical business processes, and significantly enhances operational efficiency. This leads to cost savings, reduced manual errors, and faster service delivery.

A telecommunications antenna tower – illustrative photo. Image credit: Alejandro Barba via Unsplash, free license

BSS system in telecom industry as a service

Business support system services can be procured from external partners. Typically, these are available for purchase from various specialized technology vendors and service providers operating in telecommunications sector.

These BSS services are often offered as part of a comprehensive suite of solutions designed to support and streamline the business processes of telecommunications companies. BSS solutions usually include everything what is offered by stand-alone systems, spanning billing solutions, customer relationship management (CRM), order management, and revenue assurance, but may also have other functionalities tailored by the provider to meet the specific needs of telecom ventures.

Telecom companies can choose to purchase BSS services from established vendors who specialize in providing comprehensive telecom solutions. These vendors may offer customizable packages, allowing companies to select the specific services and solutions that align with their business requirements.

The procurement of BSS services is a strategic decision for telecom ventures seeking to enhance operational efficiency. It’s common for companies in the telecommunications industry seeking the best performance indicators. These ventures often opt to invest in outsourced BSS solutions for telecom as part of their technology infrastructure to stay competitive and meet the evolving and rapidly changing demands of the market.

Conclusion

In the telecommunications industry, the requirements for operational agility and efficiency are increasingly tight. In this regard, Business Support Systems (BSS) offer new ways to optimize commercial and organizational processes, offering advanced billing solutions, seamless CRM integration, efficient order management, and robust revenue assurance.

BSS in telecommunication optimizes these commercial processes and positions telecom ventures for sustained growth. As the industry continues to innovate, BSS solutions will expand their capabilities and will continue playing a key role in the telecommunications industry as a vital tool ensuring companies stay competitive and deliver exceptional value to their customers.